Hi everybody!! I figured it was time to display my sketches somewhere other than the Beginners Lounge.

To sum up my background story: I studied in the field of Creative Writing (Netherlands), then discovered I like visual arts better. Right now I'm educating myself to hopefully someday become a character/concept artist.
I'm learning by doing sketches everyday, mostly from pictures but also from real life. In the near future I will be partaking in local courses too. Also I'm showing my work to the outside world (mostly art school friends), ready to take any advice I receive. I will have my own scanner in a few weeks, then I'll show drawings from my dummy too.

I feel I've already come a long way in the areas of shape, lines, dynamics. I thought I'd start up a special thread for my practice sketches, to get even more motivated to progress.

I hope you will all help me grow and improve, I'm very thankful to be a member of this forum.
Here is a selection of my practice sketches and value studies from the last months, a sort of 'best of'. Most recent works on top:

It's great to see your Anatomy Thread up! :thumbsup: Any particular plans for what you will be doing next? :)

Cheers,

~Rebeccak

umbrellasky

06-04-2006, 09:46 PM

Hiya! Great work so far, I look forward to seeing more! :thumbsup:

demented

06-04-2006, 09:59 PM

Hey Maladie

<Ek neem an u verstaan Afrikaans, ja?>

Really like the Rembrandt study - really captured his sort of quirky face. Also like the one above rembrandt - looks like David. Careful for too much line in different directions - it can create a hairy texture which you don't want - unless of course you are working with hair.

Art is as much a language as English, Dutch or Afrikaans - and should communicate. Make sure that the way in which you draw helps to tell us not just what you are drawing but what it is doing. But so far you are doing an excellent job of it!

There is definite improvement - eager to follow your progress!

ciao,

- d.

Maladie

06-06-2006, 07:46 PM

Here's a quick experiment. MSNing with my sister in Surinam, will write more later.

edit: I have this theory about lines. I think that if I can draw an object with as few lines as possible, and indicate mood, shadow, mass, light at will, then I can do anything from there.
That's why I want to practice sketching endlessly, until I have more control. I try to keep sketches quick and not make them pretty. As you can see:). 10-15 min PS.

Back to the drawing board! Sketching is my old love, the thing I started with here. I keep coming back to it because...well, I guess I like lines:). Also I think in order to get 'good' at anything, if ever, I'll have to do tons of sketching.

This was done from a ref, ironically it looks a lot like my granddad, who died a long time ago. I like to think of it as a little tribute to him:).

Oh, by the way, I was busy before, but I wanted to thank everyone for their comments on my first submitted work in this thread! A warm welcome, thanks!!

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e334/rava1981/practice/oldman2.jpg

Rebeccak

06-16-2006, 01:46 AM

Maladie,

Good to see more of your sketches. :) I think you might really enjoy checking out the work of Glenn Vilppu:

http://www.vilppustudio.com/

You're right about economy of line and shading. Simplicity / economy combined with anatomical knowledge and knowledge of drawing is the style I really like best. Vilppu is a master of this as is Harry Carmean.

Cheers, :)

~Rebeccak

Maladie

06-16-2006, 03:54 PM

Rebecca: his drawings are great! He makes it look very easy.

I'm at my parents this weekend which gives me time for life-drawing (them:)). Plus they have a scanner which is great!
This is my mom. She's always very disturbed with the amount of wrinkles and creases I give her. Her usual reaction is "I'm not that old...very well done!":)
Compared to older portraits of her I see an improvement, especially in my shading. However still very messy and inconsistent. I always tell her that causes her to look wrinkly:).

A real pleasure seeing this kind of progress, in such a short time...your hard work has really paid of...BIG TIME.......LOVE YOUR BRUSHWORK ON THAT MASTER COPY...AND THE GORRILLA.:thumbsup:
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK...:)

TAKE CARE
Glenn

Maladie

06-20-2006, 09:41 PM

Oh...wow...! That means so much to me, Spirit! Especially because it comes from you, and I know you've got great skill yourself:).
I was actually a little down on my creative process, but you got me all hyped up and I got inspired to delve back in!

The portrait of my mom gave me the idea to try to create more planes and not just outlines on my drawings. I try doing that by using loads of little stripes (arceren, it's called in Dutch) more consciously. This is what came out tonight. What a relief; I still love drawing!:)

My darling boyfriend, who could finally sit 'still' long enough for a drawing in pen and paper (10 minutes). Tried again to make planes rather than just outlines. Like working with ballpoint a lot:). And I have a scanner now, jay!

You might want to keep the LIGHTING of the subject formost in your mind when you do portraits...if possible.....cast shadows..ect.......Creat the mood and enhance the feeling
using LIGHT AND SHADOW...whenever possible....
Get BURNE HOGARTH'S...DYNAMIC LIGHT AND SHADE if you can....GREAT BOOK ...:thumbsup:
Glad to see you using and likeing ball point pen...will really improve your line,speed, and the
quality of your drawings....you might also try those pens that DOCTOR BONE just listed on
his thread, and it always looks better on a colored surface....you can use that color as your mid tone, and add a lighter highlight to your drawing ect.....just a thought...:)
Keep up the GREAT work.....your thread is looking really good....:thumbsup:

Here are two new drawings. Thanks for the compliment, Rebecca! I sorta know what direction I'd like this to go in - but that's all:).

I had a horrible weekend because friday I heard my cat was killed in a road accident. The portrait below is my niece looking at her newborn baby. It was sort of a comfort to draw her happiness. Done in ballpoint. The other one in pencil, but I like pen better.
I hope to get more done when I get over this loss. I really loved her.

Sorry to hear about your cat....dammed cars and ignorant drivers ...tragic comination.
That is a BEAUTIFUL ink drawing you have there....kind of strange and magical how emotions can be brought to the surface, and expressed in drawings....you really captured some very deep emotion in that ink drawing....goes beyound simple line work, and is what art is all about.
GREAT JOB...:) :thumbsup:

TAKE CARE
Glenn

Rebeccak

07-04-2006, 03:26 PM

Maladie,

Truly sorry to hear about your cat, that's awful! :sad:

I think your pen drawing, like Glenn says, is really nicely done and I agree with you that I think it's the better drawing. :) Keep up the good work!

Cheers,

~Rebeccak

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